Siemens

Background to specificationCritical to foundation work for Siemens’ £10 million traincare facility in York for First TransPennine Express was not just the drainage and stormwater management system, but actually getting it in place.

Designed to provide light maintenance, train washing, interior cleaning, toilet servicing and refuelling for 51 new 100 mph trains, the depot off Leeman Road would create 40 new jobs. But low 3.7 metre bridges on both sides of the site posed an immediate challenge to contractors C. Spencer Ltd, particularly with 4m diameter holding tanks being specified.

Key criteriaBefore deciding on Tubosider, the contractors looked hard at all the options in terms of cost, availability and most of all functionality – a key issue for the traincare facility. “We did a lot of homework on the system and believe we found the right product at the right price,” says Russell Bates, C. Spencer’s contracts manager.

“With Tubosider’s help, we overcame the problem of the bridges by adjusting the two tanks’ diameter and bringing them in in sections, no problem for their systems, which are simply gasketed together for rapid on-site installation.”

Solution & benefitsTo meet the space and allowable discharge, Tubosider created one 70 cubic metre tank with a separator treating up to 30 litres per second, and one of 360 cubic metres with two separators each treating up to 65 litres per second.

Like FirstPennine Express’s other traincare depot in Manchester, the facility is one of two maintenance homes for the £250 million Class 185 Desiro fleet of diesel trains built and tested by Siemens.

First TransPennine Express’s managing director said that such are the significant improvements of the new trains, it was vital they for them to be maintained and cleaned to the highest standards in purpose built facilities. The York depot would service up to nine three-car trains each evening and stable them overnight.